Skimbleshanks

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Skimbleshanks, played by Reed Jones in the original Broadway cast of Cats. Skimbleshanks.jpg
Skimbleshanks, played by Reed Jones in the original Broadway cast of Cats .

Skimbleshanks is a character in T. S. Eliot's 1939 book of poetry Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 musical Cats , which is based on Eliot's book. The character is portrayed as a bright and energetic orange tabby cat who lives and works on the mail trains.

Contents

The role of Skimbleshanks was originated in the West End by Kenn Wells in 1981, and on Broadway by Reed Jones in 1982. He was portrayed by Geoffery Garrat and David Arneil in the 1998 film adaptation, and Steven McRae in the 2019 film adaptation.

Origins

The T. S Eliot poem begins as a parody of Rudyard Kipling's poem "l'Envoi" (also known as "The Long Trail") from Barrack-Room Ballads and Other Verses. Compare the first few lines of Kipling's

There's a whisper down the field where the year has shot her yield,
And the ricks stand grey to the sun,
Singing:--'Over then, come over, for the bee has quit the clover,
And your English summer's done.'
You have heard the beat of the off-shore wind,
And the thresh of the deep-sea rain;
You have heard the song--how long! how long?
Pull out on the trail again!

with Eliot's

There's a whisper down the line at 11.39
When the Night Mail's ready to depart,
Saying `Skimble where is Skimble has he gone to hunt the thimble?
We must find him or the train can't start.'
All the guards and all the porters and the stationmaster's daughters
They are searching high and low,
Saying `Skimble where is Skimble for unless he's very nimble
Then the Night Mail just can't go.'

Skimbleshanks is described as living on the Night Mail overnight express train that travels on the British West Coast Main Line (WCML) between London Euston and Glasgow Central. He is however not exclusively based on the WCML, as he has visited Dumfries on the Glasgow South Western Line, then terminating at Glasgow St Enoch; but he spends most of his time on the WCML, allowing him to visit stations such as Crewe, Carlisle, and Gallowgate, all of which are on this line.

Although originally published as part of a collection of poems, Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat was published as a standalone picture book by Faber and Faber in 2015. [1]

Character

In the musical Cats , Skimbleshanks is depicted as a bright and energetic older cat who lives and works on the mail trains. [2] He is a meticulous control freak, [3] [4] though he has a tender side that comes out in his interactions with Jennyanydots and the kittens. [2] He is a figure of great importance in the train's operation; it will not leave without him, and he frequently looks in on the passengers and crew to ensure that everything is running smoothly.

The role of Skimbleshanks is meant to be played by a high baritone or tenor [3] [5] who is trained in classical dance. [4]

Appearance

Skimbleshanks is an orange tabby cat; [2] he has a stiff collar and wears a brown waistcoat with a pocket watch chain. [6]

Notable casting

The role of Skimbleshanks was originated in the West End by Kenn Wells in 1981, [7] and on Broadway by Reed Jones in 1982. [8] In the 2016 Broadway revival, he was played by Jeremy Davis. [9] On screen, the character was played by Geoffrey Garratt in the 1998 video version of the musical, [10] and by Steven McRae in the 2019 film adaptation. [11]

Beginning in March 2019, the Rinkai Line in Tokyo, Japan, uses a jingle of "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat" as its train departure melody at the Ōimachi Station for the train to the Shin-Kiba Station. [12]

Related Research Articles

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Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939) is a collection of whimsical light poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology, published by Faber and Faber. It serves as the basis for Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 musical Cats.

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"Memory" is a show tune composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Trevor Nunn based on poems by T. S. Eliot. It was written for the 1981 musical Cats, where it is sung primarily by the character Grizabella as a melancholic remembrance of her glamorous past and as a plea for acceptance. "Memory" is the climax of the musical and by far its best-known song, having achieved mainstream success outside of the musical. According to musicologist Jessica Sternfeld, writing in 2006, it is "by some estimations the most successful song ever from a musical."

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References

  1. ↑ "Skimbleshanks". Faber and Faber . Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Skimbleshanks". Cats the musical (official website). Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Cats". Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Cats Audition" (PDF). Vereinigte Bühnen Wien. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  5. ↑ "Cast / Vocal Requirements: Cats". The Musical Company. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  6. ↑ Sternfeld 2006 , p. 132
  7. ↑ "Original London Cast List". Really Useful Group. Archived from the original on 15 August 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "Original Broadway Cast List". Internet Broadway Database . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  9. ↑ "Inside the Playbill: Cats – Opening Night at the Neil Simon Theatre: Cast". Playbill . Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  10. ↑ "Preview and Cast of Cats". PBS. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  11. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 8, 2018). "'Cats' Cast: Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Steven McRae To Play Skimbleshanks". Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  12. ↑ "『キャッツ』出演俳優がりんかい線大井町駅の一日駅長を務めました！" (in Japanese). Shiki Theatre Company. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
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